Geography

Gough Island is located far south in the Atlantic Ocean and covers around 90 km2. It's 2,700 kilometres from Cape Town, and over 3,200 kilometres from South America. Edinburgh Peak is the highest point on the island at 910 metres above sea level. Other geographical places include Hags Tooth, Mount Rowett, Sea Elephant Bay, Quest Bay and Hawkins Bay. The Gough Island area also includes small islands and rocks such as Southwest Island, Saddle Island (South), Tristiana Rock, Isolda Rock (West), Round Island, Cone Island, Lot's Wife, Church Rock (North), Penguin Island (Northeast), and The Admirals (East).

Sights and Activities

Wildlife

Gough Island, together with Inaccessible, has been described as one of the least disrupted ecosystems of its kind and one of the best shelters for nesting seabirds in the Atlantic. Almost the entire world population of the Tristan Albatross and the Atlantic Petrel can be found here. To add, the island is home to the nearly flightless Gough Island Moorhen, and the extremely endangered Gough Bunting.

Weather

Gough Island, even more than the other Tristan da Cunha islands, has a cool maritime climate with low temperatures and an average annual rainfall of around 2,500 mm. Snow on higher elevations is common, even sometimes during the summer months at night. Temperatures rarely rise above 15 °C.

Getting There

By Boat

Usually, only the odd researcher or scientist visits the island, but travellers are not allowed on land. You can however circumnavigate the island by zodiac on one of the expeditions that passes by this island. Also, several times a year a fishing vessel (arriving from Cape Town and visiting Tristan da Cunha as well) travels to Inaccessible Island and Gough Island and there are possibilities to accompany them.